HT celebrates changemakers of Mumbai with HT for Mumbai Awards 2013

Hindustan Times recently recognised the contributions of people and organisations who have been the catalyst for change in Mumbai with the inaugural edition of HT for Mumbai Awards 2013.

The awards were announced to the readers of Hindustan Times in the last week of October 2013, which highlighted the role changemakers play by rising above the bleakness to usher in light in the lives of others, improving the city and its quality of life.

The launch edition showcased 12 nominees, six each in the category of Individuals and Organisations, who were selected by an august jury comprising Dr Aroon Tikekar, historian, intellectual and columnist; Chandra Iyengar, IAS officer; Rahul Bose, actor, director and sportsman; Smruti Koppikar, Editor, Special Assignments – HT; and Soumya Bhattacharya, Editor of Hindustan Times Mumbai.

Prithviraj Chavan, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, was the chief guest at the awards ceremony, held on November 22, 2013. Speaking at the event, he mentioned that the HT awards function had been a “rare occasion when undiscovered gems hidden from the public gaze were presented to the public”.

The winners in the Individual category were Kishore Bhatt, Pankaj Joshi and Sunjoy Monga, whereas the winners in the Organisation category were Majlis, LEARN and Akhsara.

The Popular Choice Award was selected by readers through a comprehensive voting mechanism, which included SMS and through the digital microsite. The award was given to Pankaj Joshi. The Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded to noted historian, Late Sharada Dwivedi.

Speaking on the awards, Soumya Bhattacharya said, “This is our way, as a paper, of giving back to the city. We will come back next year and introduce more categories and recognise more kinds of good work.”